Relay connector having a pin block and a floating guide with guide hole

Abstract

A relay connector connects a terminal of a connector to be inspected provided on a board for inspection to a measuring instrument. The relay connector includes: a pin block; a floating guide, arranged so as to approach and separate with respect to the pin block and resiliently urged in a separating direction, the floating guide formed with a guide hole; a plurality of probes, each of which is provided in the pin block so as to be opposed to the terminal of the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the guide hole; and a pressure operating member, adapted to be operated between an open state in which the connector to be inspected is allowed to be inserted into the guide hole in the floating guide, and a pressed state in which the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the floating guide is pressed toward the pin block.

1. A relay connector, adapted to electrically connect a terminal of a connector to be inspected provided on a board for inspection to a measuring instrument, the relay connector comprising:
 a pin block, comprised of insulating material; 
 a floating guide, comprised of insulating material, the floating guide arranged so as to approach and separate with respect to the pin block and resiliently urged in a separating direction, the floating guide formed with a guide hole in which the connector to be inspected is inserted so as to position the connector to be inspected toward the pin block; 
 a plurality of probes, each of which is provided in the pin block so as to be opposed to the terminal of the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the guide hole, an axial direction of each of which is parallel to an approaching and separating direction of the floating guide; and 
 a pressure operating member, adapted to be operated between an open state in which the connector to be inspected is allowed to be inserted into the guide hole in the floating guide, and a pressed state in which the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the floating guide is pressed toward the pin block. 
 
   
   
     2. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pressure operating member is provided with an engaging projection,
 the floating guide is provided with an engage receiving part, and 
 the engaging projection is engaged with the engage receiving part in the open state of the pressure operating member so as to restrain the floating guide from moving toward the pin block. 
 
   
   
     3. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a restraining part for restraining the pressure operating member from swinging into the open state is provided, and
 the engaging projection is adapted to be engaged with the engage receiving part in a state where the pressure operating member is restrained by the restraining part. 
 
   
   
     4. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pressure operating member is arranged so as to swing between the open state and the pressed state by means of a first swing shaft provided on a plane parallel to a face of the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the guide hole opposed to the pin block, and
 a pressure block is arranged at a distal end side of the pressure operating member for pressing the connector to be inspected so as to swing by means of a second swing shaft parallel to the first swing shaft. 
 
   
   
     5. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a floating pin including swelled parts at both ends thereof is passed through the floating guide and the pin block in the approaching and separating direction of the floating guide,
 a distance of the floating guide moving from the pin block in the separating direction is restricted by the swelled parts, and 
 a float spring is idly fitted to the floating pin in a contracted state between the floating guide and the pin block. 
 
   
   
     6. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein an adjusting screw is screwed on one end of the floating pin so that the distance in the separating direction can be adjusted, and
 the pressure operating member is formed with an adjusting hole so as to be opposed to the adjusting screw, whereby the adjusting screw can be adjusted from the exterior. 
 
   
   
     7. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the floating guide includes a board mounting face by which the connector to be inspected is inserted into the guide hole toward the pin block,
 the board mounting face includes a flat face which is larger than the board for inspection, and 
 no positional restriction is applied to the board for inspection in a state where the connector to be inspected is inserted into the guide hole. 
 
   
   
     8. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a depth of the guide hole formed in the floating guide is set to be equal to a height of the connector to be inspected. 
   
   
     9. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the floating guide is provided with a concave part on a face opposed to the pin block,
 the pin block is provided with a convex part to be engaged with the concave part, on a face opposed to the floating guide, and 
 the floating guide and the pin block are relatively positioned by engagement between the concave part and the convex part. 
 
   
   
     10. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an outside part of the pressure operating member at a distal end opposed to the floating guide is chamfered to form a slant face. 
   
   
     11. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 1  wherein,
 the pin block is formed with probe holes into which the plurality of probes are removably inserted, respectively. 
 
   
   
     12. A relay connector, adapted to electrically connect a terminal of a connector to be inspected provided on a board for inspection to a measuring instrument, the relay connector comprising:
 a base member, comprised of insulating material; 
 a floating guide, comprised of insulating material, the floating guide arranged so as to approach and separate with respect to the base member, the floating guide formed with a guide hole in which the connector to be inspected is inserted so as to position the connector to be inspected in a state where the board for inspection is inserted between the base member and the floating guide; 
 a pressure operating member, adapted to sandwich the floating guide between the pressure operating member and the base member, and adapted to approach and separate with respect to the base member; 
 a pin block, comprised of insulating material, and provided with the pressure operating member so as to be opposed to the floating guide; and 
 a plurality of probes, each of which is provided on the pin block so as to come into contact with the terminal of the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the guide hole in a state where the pin block is in contact with the floating guide, 
 wherein the floating guide is adapted to separate from the base member in association with operation or the pressure operating member in a direction of separating the pin block from the floating guide, whereby the pressure operating member is operated between an open state where the connector to be inspected is allowed to be inserted between the base member and the floating guide, and a pressed state where the pin block is pressed toward the connector to be inspected having been inserted into the guide hole in the floating guide. 
 
   
   
     13. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the base member includes a board mounting face opposed to the guide hole of the floating guide,
 a board positioning recess having a shape corresponding to a distal end portion of the board for inspection at an inserting side is formed on the board mounting face from an edge part, and 
 an insertion length and sideward displacement of the board for inspection are restricted by the board positioning recess so as to position the board for inspection. 
 
   
   
     14. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the floating guide is guided by a linear guide provided on the base member, and
 the floating guide is adapted to be contacted with and separated from the board mounting face of the base member in a vertical direction. 
 
   
   
     15. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the pressure operating member is arranged so as to swing in such a manner that a face of the pressure operating member opposed to the floating guide approaches and separates with respect to the base member, and
 a compression spring is provided in a contracted state between the pressure operating member and the base member so as to resiliently urge the pressure operating member in a direction in which the face of the pressure operating member opposed to the floating guide approaches the base member. 
 
   
   
     16. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the pressure operating member is arranged so as to swing in such a manner that a face of the pressure operating member opposed to the floating guide approaches and separates with respect to the base member,
 a lever member is arranged so as to swing by means of a swing shaft which is parallel to a swing shaft of the pressure operating member, 
 one end of the lever member is engaged with the floating guide, and the other end of the lever member is pressed by operation of the pressure operating member, and 
 the floating guide swings in a direction of separating from the base member into the open state, in association with a swing motion of the face of the pressure operating member opposed to the floating guide in the direction of separating from the base member. 
 
   
   
     17. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a depth of the guide hole formed in the floating guide is set to be equal to a height of the connector to be inspected. 
   
   
     18. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the floating guide is provided with a concave part on a face opposed to the pin block,
 the pin block is provided with a convex part to be engaged with the concave part, on a face opposed to the floating guide, and 
 the floating guide and the pin block are relatively positioned by engagement between the concave part and the convex part. 
 
   
   
     19. The relay connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein an outside part of the pressure operating member at a distal end opposed to the floating guide is chamfered to form a slant face.